“We’re keeping you here, but it won’t be a free ride. You’ll be given the essentials: clothes, food, a bed. Anything else you will earn. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Alpha,” I respond, glad my voice doesn’t shake as much as my knees do.
Bones gives me one short nod before heading to the table, bringing Joker with him. Cross gives me a soft look, but I don’t dare acknowledge it.
I finish breakfast not long after, plating up portions for the pack before serving them at their places at the table. Bones first, Siren and Phantom next, then Cross, and finally Joker. I keep my eyes down, though I don’t miss the feather-light touch Joker gives me as I pass by him.
They start eating immediately, and I slowly make myself a plate of what’s left in the pan. The smallest biscuit and a few scrapings of gravy, but that’s fine. I’m used to not eating a lot. I don’t dare to sit at the table, not wanting to push my luck.
“When we’re done, you will clean up. Then you will start on chores. The cleaning supplies are under the kitchen sink. You are not to enter any of our bedrooms,” Bones instructs.
I look up to find him staring at me, his plate untouched. I nod, swallowing.
“You’re dismissed.”
I start to leave the room but stop when Cross calls my name.
“I’d like to see you for a more thorough medical check. Can you meet me in the barn before you start on chores?” he asks, tone much softer than his alpha’s.
I nod, chewing on the inside of my bottom lip. He gives me a soft smile before nodding, a much kinder dismissal than before. And I take the opportunity to leave the room, holding back my tears until I’ve shut my door.
Chapter twenty-two
Imanagetogetdown half of the food on my plate before my stomach decides it’s had enough. The room smells like Phantom, and the weights have been moved. I’m glad I woke up so early, then, just to avoid that wake-up call. I listen to the muffled voices down the hall, waiting for the conversation to shift, signaling the others are finished eating. It’s easier to focus on that than to let my mind wander too far from me right now.
I hear the scrape of chair legs on the floor and spring to my feet, rushing down the hall toward the kitchen with my head down. I stick to the outside walls, trying to stay out of the way as I start to clean up, scraping my leftover food into the garbage before anyone can see. I doubt they’d care, but old habitsdie screaming.
No one acknowledges verbally that I’ve returned, though I can feel at least one set of eyes watching me like a hawk as I work quietly and efficiently. They don’t have a dishwasher, so I have to scrub everything by hand, which is fine. It does mean putting my back to the room, though, but I keep my senses on high alert.
“I’ve already got a bidder on some of the information we scraped from the facility,” Siren comments between bites.
“Any leads toward a central hub?” Phantom asks seriously.
“Nothing yet, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. We may need to hit another one, see if there are any connections,” Siren says.
“They’re going to beef up security for the other auction houses now that one has been compromised,” Bones grumbles.
“True. I haven’t seen any external chatter about the smash and grab, but I’m sure they’re shitting bricks internally.”
Siren laughs at their own joke, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. Of course, they would want to keep this quiet. Don’t want to scare off potential buyers with the idea that their operation isn’t as secure as they advertise.
“Keep up the sales, and we can figure out what comes next when you finish sorting the data,” Bones says with a strong air of finality.
“Probably best to lay low for a while anyway,” Phantom says with a groan.
The others grumble their agreement, and the conversation shifts to discussing supplies they’re going to need. I tune out most of it, not suffering any delusions that I’m going to be getting anything. But when Joker speaks my name, I freeze in place.
“Delilah is going to need clothes, and a better bed,” he says firmly.
Bones growls, sending a chill down my spine. I return to washing dishes, my spine curling inward reflexively to make myself smaller, less noticeable.
“We agreed—”
“Clothes, fine. She doesn’t need a bed. She’s got one,” Bones snaps, speaking over Phantom’s objection.
“Little wisp, come sit with me for a second,” Joker calls out.
I slowly set the plate I’d been washing down, careful not to break it. I don’t hear anyone objecting, so I turn and move toward the table, standing at Joker’s side between him and Phantom. Or at least I try to stand, until Joker pulls medown into his lap, wrapping one arm around my waist as he pulls my hair to the side and nuzzles my neck.